At Parents At Work, our vision is bold and clear: to make Australia one of the best places in the world to live, work, and raise a family. It’s a vision that has guided me for nearly 20 years, since the day I founded Parents At Work just six months after becoming a mother to twins.
Back then, my mission was simple but powerful: help women reconnect with their employers after parental leave. It wasn’t just about finding a new job; it was about helping parents re-enter the workforce with dignity, confidence, and support. Today, that small idea has grown into Australia’s leading employer membership organisation championing family-friendly workplaces.
Why Family Matters at Work
We all belong to a family, no matter its shape or size. Whether we’re parents, carers, or simply people with loved ones who depend on us, family commitments touch us all. Yet too often, work and care are seen as competing forces.
Our work at Parents At Work is about reducing that tension, because when people thrive at home and at work, everyone benefits: families, businesses, communities, and the economy. The outcomes are profound: better wellbeing, greater gender equality, a sustainable workforce, and improved productivity.
From Advocacy to Action
Over the years, our mission has expanded beyond individual support to systemic change. Together with UNICEF and others, we launched Family Friendly Workplaces during COVID to set national standards for employers.
These now Global Work & Family Standards give organisations a clear framework:
- What does good look like in family policy?
- How can we benchmark against best practice?
- Which policies actually make a measurable difference?
This has become the first global initiative of its kind, supported by the federal government, enabling employers to assess themselves for free and build action plans to improve.
Lessons Learned Along the Way
Building social change is not fast. I learned early on that progress takes time, resilience, and a deep connection to your “why.” For me, that “why” has always been about creating work that I love, that supports my family, and that contributes to something bigger than myself.
Like many working parents, I’ve faced the juggle of raising three children, running a business, and navigating the chaos of everyday life. I’ve had to learn to prioritise, accept imperfection, and embrace flexibility—not just as a policy, but as a way of living.
The Critical Role of Fathers
One of the biggest shifts we need in Australia is recognising the role of fathers in caregiving. Research shows that unless men take parental leave and share the care load early, the imbalance continues for decades.
That’s why I’ve advocated strongly for gender-neutral parental leave. Australia now has a single, inclusive scheme, a huge step forward. But we still lag behind other OECD nations when it comes to paid leave generosity. Until we invest more, we won’t see real equality in caregiving.
Rethinking Flexibility
Flexible work has become a lightning rod for debate since COVID. But flexibility is not just about working from home; it’s about designing agile workplaces that can adapt to challenges, attract talent, and support families.
From my perspective as a business owner, HR professional, and parent, flexibility is not optional; it’s essential. It’s how we future-proof our workforce and ensure people can bring their whole selves, messy, real, human, into their work without burning out.
One Daily Habit
If there’s one practical tip I’d share with fellow working parents, it’s this: every day, choose one thing that truly matters and make it happen. If you can achieve that, count it as a win. Life is messy, work is unpredictable, and success is not about perfection; it’s about progress.
The Bigger Picture
Parents At Work has always been about more than policies and programs. It’s about re-imagining the way we live and work so that no one has to choose between family and career.
We’re here to prove that when organisations invest in family-friendly practices, everyone wins. And together, we can make Australia not just a great place to work, but one of the best places in the world to raise a family.
Listen to the latest episode of Mums & Co ‘Episode 122: Balancing the Load: Equality at Home and Work with Emma Walsh’
